The Gators are a lock for the SEC title so who's playing for second?

Rueben Chinyelu in the locker room after the Gators won the 2025 national championship (Photo by Chris Spears)

At the NBA 3-point contest in 1988, Larry Bird arrived in the locker room, surveyed his opponents and asked, “Which one of you guys is playing for second?” Out on the floor, Bird never even took his Boston Celtics warmup jacket off and won, beating Dale Ellis in the final round. He hoisted his index finger to signal No. 1 before his final shot even dropped through the net.

Thirty-eight years later, if Todd Golden wanted to, he could ask that same question of the pack of teams that trail Florida (20-6, 11-2) by two or three games in the Southeastern Conference standings. With five games remaining in the regular season, the magic number for the Gators is 14. Three Florida wins will get the Gators to 14. For Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee to get to 14, they will have to go 5-0 the rest of the way. Theoretically, that’s possible. Realistically speaking, there is probably a greater chance that you could get a 747 off the ground using nothing more than an owner’s manual than there is for Florida to not win the SEC.  

So the question of the day is which one of those guys (Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee) is playing for second?

Winning the SEC is nice and that’s the immediate goal. Florida hasn’t won the SEC since 2014, which was a Final Four year. Beyond the regular season there is the SEC Tournament in Nashville, a 3-day affair, and then the 3-weekend, 6-game grind that is the NCAA Tournament. A maximum 14 games remain in this basketball season.

So once again the magic number is 14.

Golden is so into the analytics of the game that he is well aware of the numbers. Fourteen SEC wins and the Gators are regular season champs. A maximum of 14 games remain in this basketball season. If the Gators were to go 14-0, they will not only win the SEC and the SEC Tournament, but they will repeat as national champs.

It’s a worthy and achievable goal, but Golden knows that for the Gators to hoist the national championship trophy for the second straight year they have to take it one game at a time, starting Saturday at Ole Miss.

After whomping South Carolina Wednesday night, Golden said, “I don’t care if it’s Alabama. I don’t care if it’s Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, like, we’re treating that game like the national championship.”

It worked a year ago. In case you’ve forgotten, the Gators were No. 1 in the nation only after they beat Houston in the championship game. Prior to that it was a one-game-at-a-time approach that advanced the cause.

That’s the same approach the Gators will need to be the last team standing 14 games from now.

Wednesday’s scores

Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC) 81, No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC) 80: Missouri held off a furious Vanderbilt rally for a win that will give its NCAA chances a huge boost. Vandy trailed 66-45 with 8:43 to go but outscored Mizzou 35-14 the rest of the way. Tyler Nickel’s three with 1.8 seconds remaining got Vandy within a point. Tyler Tanner got a steal on the inbounds pass at midcourt but his Hail Mary heave rattled around the rim and popped out as the horn sounded. The difference in the game was at the foul line where Missouri was 25-32. Vanderbilt got to the line only 18 times. T.O. Barrett and Trent Pierce each had 16 for Missouri. Tanner 27 for Vandy.

No. 25 Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) 117, No. 20 Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC) 115, 2 OT: Houston Mallette’s three from the corner with 51 seconds to go in the second overtime was the difference maker as Alabama survived a 49-point outburst by the Razorbacks’ Darius Acuff Jr. Four Arkansas players fouled out, forcing John Calipari to use two players in overtime who had been on the floor a combined 35 minutes all season. Alabama got to the foul line 34 times while Arkansas had only 19 free throws. Labaron Philon Jr. had 35 points and seven assists for Alabama while Aiden Sherrill contributed 26 points and 13 rebounds. Acuff, who sent the game into overtime with a clutch three, had a chance for the game-winning shot at the end of both overtimes. Both Alabama and Arkansas are in the pack with four SEC losses, two games behind Florida with five to go.

Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC) 89, Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10 SEC) 66: Tennessee remained in the pack tied for second in the SEC with a relatively easy win over Oklahoma. Oklahoma had no answers for Tennessee freshman Nate Ament, who finished the game with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 16 points and eight assists for the Vols. Nijel Pack, who hit 4-5 on his 3-pointers, scored 20 to lead the Sooners.

Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC) 80, Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC) 77: The Aggies came from 13 points down in the second half, holding Ole Miss scoreless the last three minutes of the game to break a 4-game losing streak. Rashaun Agee led the Aggies with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Ole Miss was led by AJ Storr, who scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half. Malik Dia, who scored 20 points, left the game with an ankle injury in the second half and didn’t return to the game. The Rebels have lost eight straight.

Mississippi State (13-13, 5-8 SEC) 91, Auburn (14-12, 5-8 SEC) 85:  Josh Hubbard scored 35 points in the first half, 46 for the game as Mississippi State delivered a crushing blow to Auburn’s NCAA hopes. Hubbard, who nailed 10-16 from the 3-point line, had more points at the half than the entire Auburn team. It was the fifth straight loss for Auburn, which was led by Keyshawn Hall, back from suspension. Hall scored 29 and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Saturday’s games

No. 12 FLORIDA (20-6, 11-2 SEC) at Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC)

Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC) at No. 19 Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC)

Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC)

No. 25 Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC) at LSU (14-12, 2-11 SEC)

Texas (17-9, 8-5 SEC) at Georgia (18-8, 6-7 SEC)

Kentucky (17-9, 8-5 SEC) at Auburn (14-12, 5-8 SEC)

Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC) at Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10 SEC)

Mississippi State (13-13, 5-8 SEC) at South Carolina (11-15, 2-11 SEC)

WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC

16. South Carolina (11-15, 2-11 SEC): The only question remaining for South Carolina is will Lamont Paris be given one more year to right the ship or will he walk the plank?

15. Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10 SEC): The Rebels had Texas A&M on the ropes, but figured out a way to blow the game. They’ve lost eight straight games.

14. LSU (14-12, 2-11 SEC): The Tigers have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Matt McMahon’s hopes of one more year hinge on money, as in can LSU afford to fire him in light of paying $54 million to fire football coach Brian Kelly and paying Lane Kiffin $13 million a year to replace him.

13. Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10 SEC): Oklahoma’s modest 2-game win streak was ended by Tennessee in a rout. Buzzards are circling over Porter Moser’s office.

12. Mississippi State (13-13, 5-8 SEC): Josh Hubbard has scored 30 or more three straight games. The Bulldogs are at .500 for the season. They’ve got a shot at a winning record.

11. Auburn (14-12, 5-8 SEC): The Tigers are playing themselves out of NCAA contention. Five straight losses will do that to you.

10. Missouri (18-8, 8-5 SEC): Mizzou’s chances of getting off the NCAA bubble and squarely in the tournament field improved significantly with the win over Vanderbilt. The Tigers need to win three of their last five.

9. Texas A&M (18-8, 8-5 SEC): The Aggies are the shortest and least talented team in the SEC. Other than Florida, they are also the toughest team to prepare for.

8. Georgia (18-8, 6-7 SEC): The Bulldogs got a much needed win over Kentucky at Rupp. They need three wins in the last five to finish 9-9 in the SEC.

7. Kentucky (17-9, 8-5 SEC): The Big Blue Nation is calling for a conclave and three puffs of smoke that will signal a new Pope is on the way.

6. Texas (16-9, 8-5 SEC): The Longhorns have won five in a row and have a legitimate shot at 12 SEC wins.

5. Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 SEC): The Commodores are a good team without Duke Miles. With him, they can beat any team in the SEC except Florida.

4. Tennessee (19-7, 9-4 SEC): The Vols have won seven of their last eight and they have a schedule that is conducive to a 4-1 finish.

3. Arkansas (19-7, 9-4 SEC): The Razorbacks need to get healthy but even with a depleted roster Darius Acuff Jr. is good enough to keep them in games.

2. Alabama (19-7, 9-4 SEC): Bama could win the last five games. The Crimson Tide can’t play a lick of defense, but they can score and run people into the ground.

1. FLORIDA (20-6, 11-2 SEC): The Gator Boyz are hot. Again. A 5-0 finish would surprise no one but 4-1 is more realistic.